Patents Examined by Herbert J. Lilling
  • Patent number: 8518691
    Abstract: A membrane supported bioreactor arrangement and method for anaerobic conversion of gas into liquid products including membrane modules having hollow fibers, each of the hollow fibers formed from an asymmetric membrane wall having a porous outer layer defining biopores for retaining a porous biolayer about the outer surface of the membrane wall and a less permeable hydration layer around the hollow fiber lumen; a membrane vessel for retaining the membrane modules in a process gas for formation of the biolayer on the outer surface of the hollow fiber wall by interaction of microorganisms with a process gas and for the production of a liquid product, wherein the membrane vessel retains the membrane modules in a common horizontal plane; provides a seal between contents of the membrane tank and ambient atmosphere; and includes a liquid supply conduit for communicating the process liquid with the hollow fiber lumens of the hollow fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Coskata, Inc.
    Inventors: Shih-Perng Tsai, Rathin Datta, Rahul Basu, Seong-Hoon Yoon
  • Patent number: 8475543
    Abstract: A process for production of biofuels from algae can include cultivating an oil-producing algae by promoting sequential photoautotrophic and heterotrophic growth. The method can further include producing oil by heterotrophic growth of algae wherein the heterotrophic algae growth is achieved by introducing a sugar feed to the oil-producing algae. An algal oil can be extracted from the oil-producing algae, and can be converted to form biodiesel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Genifuel Corporation
    Inventor: James R. Oyler
  • Patent number: 8460898
    Abstract: Biomass is pretreated using an organic solvent solution under alkaline conditions in the presence of ammonia and optionally an additional nucleophile to fragment and extract lignin without loss of hemicellulose. Pretreated biomass is further hydrolyzed with a saccharification enzyme consortium. Fermentable sugars released by saccharification may be utilized for the production of target chemicals by fermentation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: E I du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Bruce A Diner, Janine Fan
  • Patent number: 8426158
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for increasing hydrolysis of a cellulosic material, comprising: hydrolyzing the cellulosic material with an enzyme composition in the presence of a polypeptide having peroxidase activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Novozymes, Inc.
    Inventors: Feng Xu, Jason Quinlan
  • Patent number: 8426175
    Abstract: A method for obtaining a fermentation product from a sugar hydrolysate obtained from a feedstock containing hemicellulose, by (i) removing suspended fiber solids from said sugar hydrolysate to obtain a clarified sugar solution; (ii) fermenting xylose in the clarified sugar solution in a fermentation reaction with yeast to produce a fermentation broth comprising the fermentation product; (iii) separating the yeast from the fermentation broth to produce a yeast slurry; (vi) treating the yeast slurry thus obtained with an oxidant to kill microbial contaminants, thereby an oxidant-treated yeast slurry; (v) re-introducing at least a portion of the oxidant-treated yeast back to step (ii) to increase the concentration of yeast in said fermentation reaction; and (vi) recovering the fermentation product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Iogen Energy Corporation
    Inventors: Jason B. Edwards, Lisa McMillan, Glenn D. Munkvold, Jan-Maarten Geertman
  • Patent number: 8426189
    Abstract: Fermentation media containing an isoflavone-depleted soybean meal or isoflavone-depleted soybean meal product and at least one exogenous added ingredient that comprises a substrate for microbial growth are provided. Methods of making a fermentation medium comprising an isoflavone-depleted soybean meal or isoflavone-depleted soybean meal product and methods for obtaining a fermentation product are also provided. The present invention is further directed to fermentation broths obtained by the media and methods. The present invention is also directed to feed additives produced from fermentation broths obtained by the methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Fermalogic, Inc.
    Inventor: J. Mark Weber
  • Patent number: 8420379
    Abstract: The invention relates to a material for capturing microbes or the like, a device for capturing microbes or the like, a method of capturing microbes or the like, and a method of producing a material for capturing microbes or the like, and has an object of using a pulverizable resin whereby a minor amount of microbes or the like contained in a large amount of a liquid, or microbes or the like contained in a small amount of a liquid can be captured efficiently, quickly, labor-savingly, and reliably. Disclosed is: a material for capturing microbes or the like, which comprises irregular-shaped powdery grains made of a pulverizable adsorbent resin and distributed in a predetermined grain size range, and which can adsorb or bond to a target such as a microbe contained in a liquid; a device for capturing microbes or the like; and a method of capturing microbes or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Universal Bio Research Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideji Tajima, Tomoyuki Hatano, Ryouji Karinaga, Madoka Shishido
  • Patent number: 8415143
    Abstract: A system for producing a hydrocarbon-producing photosynthetic organism. The system comprises a substantially closed conduit system enclosing a fluid, a fluid-moving mechanism adapted to move the fluid through at least a portion of the conduit system, and a harvester adapted to remove at least a portion of the hydrocarbon-producing photosynthetic organisms from the fluid. The fluid contains a population of a hydrocarbon-producing photosynthetic organism and the conduit system configured to permit at least a portion of the population to receive light suitable for photosynthesis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Cleanergy Corp.
    Inventor: John Strisower
  • Patent number: 8409550
    Abstract: A skin care product comprising from about 0.001% to about 10% of a retinoid, in combination with 0.0001% to about 50% of at combination of retinoid boosters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care, USA, Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Stewart Paton Granger, Ian Richard Scott, Robert Mark Donovan, Susanne Teklits Iobst, Lisa Licameli
  • Patent number: 8399075
    Abstract: A spalted wood product having a first ply cut from a wood and a second ply cut from the wood wherein the first ply and the second ply are spalted. The spalted first ply or spalted second ply is positioned on a base, where the base includes engineered wood, and the wood products include wood flooring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian W. Beakler
  • Patent number: 8389253
    Abstract: Biomass is pretreated using an organic solvent solution under alkaline conditions in the presence of one or more alkylamine and optionally one or more additional nucleophile to fragment and extract lignin. Pretreated biomass is further hydrolyzed with a saccharification enzyme consortium. Fermentable sugars released by saccharification may be utilized for the production of target chemicals by fermentation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: E I du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Bruce A Diner, Janine Fan
  • Patent number: 8377661
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for synthesizing ?-amino-alkanoic acids or the esters thereof from mono-unsaturated natural fatty acids comprising at least one step of forming the unsaturated diacid corresponding to the original fatty acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Arkema France
    Inventor: Jean-Luc Dubois
  • Patent number: 8361779
    Abstract: A method of buffering a chemical or biological composition, comprising adding to the composition an effective buffering amount of at least one protonated or un-protonated amine-quaternary ammonium compound having a general formula: wherein the variables R, G, n and k are as defined herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Sachem, Inc.
    Inventor: Barry L. Haymore
  • Patent number: 8349594
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for enzymatic lipase interesterification of oils containing a chelating agent by sequential or simultaneous treatment with a base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignees: Novozymes A/S, Novozymes North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven White Pearce, Lars Saaby Pedersen, Hans Christian Holm, Tommy Lykke Husum, Per Munk Nielsen
  • Patent number: 8349595
    Abstract: [PROBLEMS] To provide a fat-and-oil in which the content of docosahexaenoic acid is increased. [MEANS FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS] A process for producing highly unsaturated fatty acids comprising culturing a stramenopile capable of producing highly unsaturated fatty acids in a culture medium containing an inhibitor for fatty acid desaturases; fats-and-oils in which the content of highly unsaturated fatty acids, particularly docosahexaenoic acid produced by the relevant method, is increased. A method for enhancing the productivity of highly unsaturated fatty acids in stramenopiles, comprising culturing a stramenopile in a culture medium containing an inhibitor for fatty acid desaturases; stramenopiles having the enhanced productivity of highly unsaturated fatty acids, generated by the relevant method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignees: University of Miyazaki, Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Hayashi, Sanae Nakajima, Naoki Nagano, Yosuke Taoka
  • Patent number: 8343487
    Abstract: Provided are methods for preparing culture medium that contains soluble hyaluronidases. The methods employ cells that contain a plurality of active copies of nucleic acid encoding the soluble hyaluronidase and a plurality of feedings and temperature changes, whereby the encoded soluble hyaluronidase is secreted into the cell culture medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Halozyme, Inc.
    Inventors: David Baker, Louis H. Bookbinder
  • Patent number: 8344019
    Abstract: The present invention relates to compositions and methods for the production of biliverdin and methods of treatment and prevention. In particular, the invention concerns methods for producing biliverdin in yeast, especially Candida albicans, and other microorganisms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services
    Inventors: Michael L Pendrak, David D Roberts
  • Patent number: 8338141
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of making a methionine preparation, for example for an animal feed additive. The invention also related to methods for increasing the solubility of a methionine preparation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Novus International, Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Lorbert, Jennifer Wu, Farooq Uraizee, Charles Steven Schasteen
  • Patent number: 8338177
    Abstract: A method for culturing cells in the presence of an alcanoic acid for enhancing protein production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Lonza Biologics PLC
    Inventors: David Mainwaring, Jeremy Wayte
  • Patent number: 8334113
    Abstract: An organic material production system using biomass material includes: a hydrothermal decomposition apparatus that causes the biomass material and hot compressed water to countercurrently contact with each other and undergo hydrothermal decomposition, so as to separate the lignin component and the hemicellulose component from a biomass solid residue; a cellulose enzymatic saccharification device that treats, cellulose in the biomass solid residue, so as to enzymatically saccharify the cellulose to a first sugar solution containing hexose; an alcohol fermenter that produces alcohols by fermentation using the obtained first sugar solution; a sulfuric acid decomposition device that decomposes the hemicellulose component in hot water discharged from the hydrothermal decomposition apparatus, which contains the eluted lignin component and the eluted hemicellulose component, so as to decompose the hemicellulose component to a second sugar solution containing pentose; and a second alcohol fermenter that produces, usi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mechatronics Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Genta, Ryosuke Uehara, Seiichi Terakura, Kinya Fujita